RAs are charged with many responsibilities, one of which is planning “programs” throughout the semester–anything from hour-long “marshmallow roasts” to day-long trips to New York City. As a way to celebrate the end of the year, my RA (sophomore Laura Santacrose) organized a dinner cruise for my building (Low Rise 6).

Fifteen dollars later, I was floating on Cayuga Lake while being served a four-course meal:

A few of my friends and me on the boat

The food was delicious and the view was spectacular. I had a great time, and I know my friends did too (they couldn’t help but make a few “I’m on a boat” jokes during the course of the three-hour boat ride). I was really impressed; it was obvious my RA had invested a lot of time and effort into making the cruise happen and keeping it affordable enough for everyone to be able to come.

What’s more impressive is that this isn’t the only time Laura has planned something like this: she went with a group of students to see a Tony Award-winning play in NYC earlier this semester, organized an apple picking event last fall, and even planned a Superbowl party earlier this year, complete with pizza and wings. It seems like Laura never stops coming up with new programs for her residents to enjoy!

I think sometimes residents forget how much RAs do–we treat them the way we sometimes treat our parents, taking for granted all their hard work. The more I think about it, the more I realize that Laura has been a huge part of my first year of college. No matter what happened, I knew I could always turn to her for advice. She was my wiser older sibling while away from home.

So, moral of the story: In addition to answering all your questions and helping you out while you’re away from home, RAs work their butts off to make sure you and the rest of your floor get to have some special experiences while at CU. (So make sure you thank them once in a while!)